Some homes have basements that are finished. Others have unfinished basements. In either case, basements tend to end up being a catch all area for items that don’t quite fit elsewhere in your home. When you are selling your home, don’t forget about staging a basement. While you can’t control if a buyer prefers a finished or unfinished basement, you can make yours as appealing as possible.
Staging A Basement: Unfinished
Don’t try to make it look like a living area
Couches, rugs, and faux plants really don’t belong in an unfinished space-why? Buyers aren’t going to walk into an unfinished basement and think that the family actually hangs out down there on weekends. Stay true to what the space is. An unfinished basement is most likely going to a storage area for your home, and that’s ok if staging a basement reflects that.
Dust, sweep, and freshen up
Even if it’s unfinished, staging a basement means cleaning it up. No one wants to walk down the stairs and be met with a cobweb in the face or start sneezing because of dust. Run a vacuum along the ceiling and walls to collect all the dust. Sweep the floors. Unfinished basements don’t always smell the freshest; if you are able, then open up the windows to let some fresh air in and add a few room deodorizers if necessary.
Add organization to the storage
If your basement is being used as storage, that’s ok. Since your home is on the market, now would be a great time to go through everything in the basement and determine what you want to move and what needs to be donated or trashed. After you’ve done that, make sure that everything is in a box or on a shelf, not just scattered around the room.
Bring in the Paint and Light
Light is important when staging a basement. Unlike the other areas of your home, the basement may suffer from a lack of natural lighting. If it does, open up the blinds and curtains on any windows. Make sure to clean window wells of debris and wash down the sides of the well so buyers don’t look out and see another project. Paint is another way to add light to the basement. Crisp white walls or a fresh coat of concrete paint on the floor can help to lighten the space. Switching out the bulbs to bright white shades can help too.
Highlight the different zones
Basements can be multi functional rooms; try to designate the different zones in your basement by putting similar items in the same spot while staging a basement. Is your laundry area in the basement? Add a small bookcase to organize the laundry detergents and other related items. Clean up your workbench and tuck away tools in tool boxes to show the area where projects are completed. Gather all the exercise equipment and create a work out zone by adding some rubber flooring in the area.
Staging a basement: finished
Finished basements are additional livable square footage for a home. Every buyer may want to use this space differently. Some buyers might like to make it a family room for watching movies. Others may want it to be a play area for their children or as a place for guests, exercise equipment, or an office. When staging a basement, keep it simple so that buyers can more easily envision the basement as the space they need. Here are some ideas for staging a basement when it’s finished to make it appealing.
White ceilings and light colors
Many basements have ceilings that are lower than the ones in the rest of the home. Painting the ceilings white can help the space appear taller. Since most basements lack natural lighting, keep the paint colors in the space light and neutral. Add in pops of color through fabrics and accessories.
Declutter and Simplify
Since a basement may serve many different purposes, it’s important to take the time to declutter and remove pieces of furniture that you are not using. When staging a basement, highlight the different zones like a table for kid projects, a corner for your exercise equipment, or a desk that is your home office, but make sure that it is still easy to move around in the space.
Use blinds on windows
The windows in basements don’t always have the prettiest view a.k.a you can see the bottom of your air conditioner when you look out the window. Use blinds to keep these views out, but also let light inside the room when staging a basement.
Add lights
Make the basement feel welcoming by adding additional lighting. Whether it’s a night light down a hallway to a bedroom or a table lamp near the stairs, additional lighting will make it easier for buyers to navigate the unfamiliar space.
Incorporate mirrors
A great trick when staging a basement is to add mirrors. A mirror on the wall or a tall one in the corner of your work out area helps to reflect light and brighten the space.
Staging a basement is just one room in your home. Are you searching for more tips about staging? Check out the link below.
